My father is looking at the 2016 ILX as a possible replacement for a 2009 Civic LX. Now the man is 77 and is small in stature so size of the car works for him. I want to get owners opinions if this is a good move. He will likely be looking at a premium trim.

My main concern is whether this is a easy car to drive like his Civic and also whether it justifies the increases cost over say a loaded new gen Civic or Mazda 3.

I think he got the idea from riding around in the 2013 RDX we own. Which is quiet and relatively decent in comfort.

 

I think it is a great idea. I cant speak for the mazda but the ILX will feel like an upgrade over the Civic. Especially a 09.

Easy to drive, easy to maintain. Looks and feels superior though. I think he will enjoy the car as it feels more luxurious than a civic yet its just as reliable.

 

^^ yea what he said, the old guy will love it no doubt

 

Thanks guys. I am going to advise that he should buy it. I did some reading on my part and it sounds like the 2016 is a pretty nice package.

 

zen, instead of committing right away and relying on "personal subjective reviews" above, why not test drive the vehicle to see if the car is right for your pops?

it doesnt make sense to automatically commit to something if you havent even sat in the gawyam thing.

 

as he sat in the mazda?!

 

The new HRV-based small crossover that is supposedly coming soon would be great for your dad. Too bad its not here yet!

 

We test drove it two days ago. He was fine with the way it drove and rode since its much like the Civic he had before.

He was just questioning if the extra money is well spent. I have had good experience so far with my wife's RDX so I was for the idea. Also the newer safty updates would be helpful. Little things like rear cross traffic alert would be nice for him to have.

Mazda 3 was going to be the next for a test drive.

 

We were sort of in the same boat when we recently bought our ILX for my wife. She wanted something smaller than an Accord but didn't really care for the standard Civic everyone else was driving.

When we found the new ILX it was just what she was looking for, a smaller entry level luxury car that was fun to drive and met all our needs. At one point we were looking at low end BMW and Audi's but felt in the long run the Acura would be a better buy for the money since we keep our cars for quite awhile.

Just remember to have the dealership throw in a spare tire as part of the deal.

 

ahhh, there's the missing pieces of the puzzle!!!

if he's questioning the extra money spent, then probably doesnt need an up scale version of the civic.

 

I think the ILX is a great car but I am just wondering if its the best car for your dad. Not to sound offensive but as we get older, we prefer a car that runs smooth and is somewhat quiet. The ILX lacks a bit of that refinement - Its much improved over the previous generation but the road noise and harsher/choppier ride might get tiring for your dad.

Also, your dad will be paying a premium for technology/features that may never be used or appreciated so is it really that great purchase?

I don't want to sway your opinion one way or the other but a good and long road test would help and a list of pros/cons of the Civic versus ILX

My two cents...and I am an ILX owner.

 

Agreed^

Test drive the ILX on multiple road conditions, i.e. newer, older, and highway.

Only real issue I hear people having with the ILX is road noise.
Coming from a Civic I feel it will be an upgrade for your father as my ILX was for my old integra. Road noise is very minimal compared to my old integra which will probably be the same for your father.

Others have come from BMWs or other highly refined cars and feel the ILX is a bit noisy.

 

I appreciate the feedback from various perspectives. My dad has not had a luxury brand car before. So he is coming from economy cars. He is a long term ownership type of guy. If he did not find the 2009 Civic (just got totaled this monday) or his prior 1997 Chevy Cavalier noisy and rough I am sure the ILX is a nice upgrade in comparison. He is not a technologically averse person and is pretty quick to pick up new tech.

Also my mother I think is also hoping to get a little bit more quiet and just a nicer car than a Civic. If my dad did not limit size to the Civic equivalent I think there are more options. As it stands the ILX may be the only small luxury car that has good potential long term reliability that I can think of.

 

I think your dad will enjoy the ILX.

On another note. I just noticed your username. Please tell me you have a zenki S14?! Pics if so please!

 

To be honest, I've had my ILX for over a month and not once ever thought about road noise as being a concern.

 

Agreed. One mine for about 2 years now. Not once have I thought it was loud in the cabin.

 

I did for many years. It was my first car. It is gone now but still holds a special place in my memories. I was part of the 240sx crowd back in 1998 when Sr20det swaps were still rare. Mine was a ka24det. It was actually my father's gift to me for completing college. Its a 1995 base that I spent years modifying.

Here is a pic from back in 2010. The car eventually got a blown motor and rust issues. I had to let it go.

 

I happen to test drive the 16 ILX A-spec tech plus this past weekend.. They really improved the road noise, however with those 18in rims on the A spec, can be somewhat quite umcomfortable... I'm not sure what particular trim your dad is looking to get, but if you say hes a long term ownership type, I'd say he will make a decision if decides to buy an ILX.

 

As an ILX owner (2014), I feel the cabin noise is decent as there is little wind noise or unrefined engine noise, in fact, I would argue that the engine noise (being subtle) is so sweet.

What I was refering is the road noise under certain asphalt condition....On some roads, the ILX is very quiet and luxury like but then you hit another section and the harshness is just so intrusive. Its not all road conditions so make sure you test it quite a bit to be sure you get a good road sample. Now the 2016 may have improved on this issue.

 

I understand that point. I will ride along again when we go back next week to the dealer. I also find road noise often has to do with the factory tire choice.

 

If you have time wait for the new 10th gen civics.. upcoming this Fall

 

After another drive and going back to check out the latest Civic. My parents deliberated a bit and decided to go with a Tech Plus ILX. I will have the duty to teach my dad how to use the extra tech and help him setup the personal settings.

They picked a White and parchment combo. Because it was late they will pick up the car tomorrow after I make sure insurance is in place.

 

Congrats!

 

drive an ilx and tlx back to back. HUGE difference. its just one of things you have to experience to understand and experience the difference.

 

The point was genius that it is subjective. It matters what car you drove previously.

Ops dad drove a civic. Meaning toad noise will be reduced. He doesn't drive a tsx so your example is pointless.

 

We brought the car home today. He is happy but keeps forgetting he needs to step on the brake when pushing the start button to get the engine started. I have helped setup all the safety features and did a quick run through on the tech for him. Probably will need a few more weeks for him to learn and remember them the features.

No complaints about noise as it is definitely an improvement from his Civic. I test drove it as well and coming from the RDX and a Lexus I can agree with the people that may be used to a quieter car that there is noise, but I do not believe it is too obnoxious a level of noise. Since his hearing is not that great anymore its no issue anyway.

Because of all the talk of the TLX I did push him to try to test one. As soon as he sat in it he complained its too big for him and that was that.

 

Congrats!

 

...and that right there is a good reason why some people buy the ILX versus the TLX. I am a small guy and I agree that I like the size of the size of the ILX over that of the TLX (all things being equal). Maybe that is why I love the IS so much and why my opinion may be different than many..

 

Congrats.

 

I don't understand what it is with a push start that makes people think they don't need to press the brake.

With keys you have to press the brake to turn them so with a button you have to press the brake to push it.

My mother had the same issue with her loaner car. Kept forgetting to press the brake.

 

What non push button start car makes you press the brake to turn the key? To move out of Park yes. But not to turn the car on.

 

Also, most of the cars I've driven with push button start. IE: BMW, they have on the display directions on how to use the push button start.

 

I'm pretty sure my integra did....

 

Pretty sure my civic did . But I also had anti theft and stuff... Not 100% sure if it came like that, but i'd probably guess so.

 

Must have been a thing in the past... I believe in my C-10 I didn't have to push the brake. I know for sure in the Corolla I don't or the Silverado.